Vhenan, Dithara-ma (Heart, May You Learn)
by Swevens
Summary: Sent by her clan Keeper to observe the Conclave, Grael Lavellan never dreamed she'd be the primary suspect in the death of the Divine. As the Chantry stumbles, an ancient foe emerges to threaten the future of all. The world needs one who will rise as a leader and guide the world through the rising darkness and back into the light. Story based on my play through. Inquisitor x Solas.


Somewhere

She felt the pain before she'd even opened her eyes. And the way the unfamiliar darkness surrounding her billowed with that ominous green smoke made Grael wish she hadn't opened her eyes at all.

It was tempting to simply lay there and avoid aggravating whatever wounds she'd incurred, but a sudden realization brought her to her feet so fast she almost sank again as her blood pressure plummeted in response to the movement. She had to get out of here. After all, she might be the only one who knew what –

A sudden burst of light off to the left caught her attention; a solitary figure stood upon a tall stone ledge, unmoving. The sight, paired with the eerie darkened silence of this place put her on edge, and she peered closer, trying to discern whether the figure might be friend or foe. Try as she might, Grael couldn't identify who it might be from such a distance, but with no other options, she steeled her resolve and hastened forward as quickly as her body would allow, ignoring the claustrophobia the thick fog elicited within her.

She made it more than halfway up the stone steps leading to the ledge before a faint scratching sounded from below. As soon as it was gone, she longed for the silence to return, but the very air seemed to deny her wish as the sound began to grow louder and more ominous. One breath to steel herself, and then she turned and looked behind; movement hidden in shadows quickly gave way to familiar shapes that the clan hunter immediately identified even before the first of the massive cave spiders crept into view. Her hands, already reaching for the twin daggers at her back snagged only air; wherever her weapons were, they would be of no aid now.

With little choice left but retreat, Grael turned back towards the figure and began climbing hastily. In her panic, she stumbled once and launched her knee into the rough edge of a step. She put her hand to the injury reflexively, and only then perceived a burning pain in her hand, too. Refusing to waste time looking down, she focussed on putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as she could, nearing her destination even as she heard the horde of spiders gaining ground on her.

So close now, the figure was easily recognizable as it leaned down, a hand outstretched, offering her safety. Grael reached upward desperately, her hand connecting with the other even as large pincers closed around her leg –

A blinding burst of light dropped her to her knees; blinking, she registered several blurry figures rushing towards her. Head spinning, she collapsed before any could reach her.

Somewhere Else

She didn't know what woke her next; indeed, Grael hadn't truly expected there to be an awakening. Yet here she was, painfully aware of each breath in and out of her aching body. Slowly she became aware of the cold stone floor on which she kneeled, and the chains binding her hands at her front. A flash of green obscured her vision for a split second, engulfing her left hand in vivid green flame. She jerked in panic at the sight, but quickly realized it wasn't burning her flesh; instead, it was more of a violently uncomfortable tingling sensation. She flexed her fingers, and the ability to do so countered her initial reaction of terror. Before she could make sense of the fire, it flickered and died. Grael held her breath for a count, but exhaled deeply when she didn't burst into flame again.

The harsh grating of metal on metal rang out, and Grael jerked her head up as the cell door – for she was in a prison cell, she deduced – swung open and slammed forcefully into the bars. Four big men entered and positioned themselves silently along the walls as two more enter, though these obviously weren't guards. The first, a short-haired human woman in armour strides in just as silently as the guards, and circles the prisoner as a second woman enters, dressed in a hooded fabric and chainmail cloak.

The first woman broke the silence, her Nevarran accent as obvious as the flint in her tone. "The Conclave is destroyed. All who attended, dead; all except you."

The speaker stopped in front of Grael and looked down stonily.

Realization dawned as she regarded her interrogator, the cuffs at her wrist chafing skin. "You think I did it." It was as much a statement as a question.

The woman grabbed the cuff and yanked on it, drawing the injured hand up out of the shadows. "Explain _this_."

Grael looked up at her own hand, trying to find words. Information swirled in her head – the Conclave's destruction, the dead, the green fire – and found she had no answers. "I can't."

It wasn't the answer the woman was looking for. "What do you mean, you _can't_?"

"I can't tell you," Grael insisted, "because I don't know. I don't remember anything beyond the opening ceremonies of the Conclave –"

The woman rushed towards her, eyes wild as she reached for Grael. "You're lying!"

The cloaked woman slides seamlessly into her path, holding a hand towards her companion. "We need her, Cassandra," she placated, her voice a calming agent in the room.

Cassandra took a step back, if only a small one.

"So many dead…" Grael spoke as much to herself as anyone. In shock, she looked to her captors. "If everyone at the Conclave is dead…what do we do now? I don't remember – I swear, I don't know what happened. All I remember is…running. Something chasing me – cave spiders, I think – and there was someone else. A woman, I think, but I don't…why can't I remember?"

The calmer woman folded her arms and leaned forward. "You saw a woman? What do you remember about her? What did she look like? What did she do?"

"She…" Grael ran through what little memory she could recall. "She looked like…I don't know. Was she…glowing? I can't recall her face. She reached out to me, I think she meant to _help_ , but then…" She let out a breath, looking to the floor in defeat as she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't recall what happened to her. Has not a single other person been recovered? Perhaps she is still there, wherever it was you found me."

The both ignored her, and turned instead to each other. "You may rejoin camp, Leliana; I'll take her to the rift."

Leliana exited the cell in silence, leaving Cassandra and Grael alone with the guards. Cassandra turned back to Grael and bent down to work at the locking mechanism on the cuffs.

"The…" Grael trailed off, thoughts racing. "What happened to the Conclave?"

Cassandra took a breath. "Come. It might be easier to show you."


End file.
